Major celebration activities include a flag raising ceremony to be held in the morning, a National Day reception in the afternoon, and a variety show and a fireworks display in the evening, the department said in a statement.

At 8:00 a.m., a flag raising ceremony will be held at the Golden Bauhinia Square outside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center (HKCEC). A sea parade and a fly-past will also be staged in the ceremony.

The flag raising ceremony will be attended by about 600 invited guests including Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa, senior government officials, members of the consular corps, dignitaries and community leaders.

A cocktail reception hosted by the chief executive will be held at 4:00 p.m. at the Grand Hall of the HKCEC for invited guests from all sectors of the community.

During the reception, a total of 60 photographs carrying four different themes, "New face of the Motherland", "Sporting Achievements", "Focus on Hong Kong" and "Perfect Complements", will be displayed in the Grand Hall to update guests on the latest developments of the mainland and Hong Kong.

In the evening, a variety show will be organized at the Hong Kong Coliseum, featuring performances by the People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong, Hong Kong's five disciplinary services, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the Hong Kong Dance Company, the Hong Kong Children's Choir and local pop singers including Hacken Lee, Eason Chan, Andy Hui, Joey Yung and Twins.

A 23-minute splendid fireworks display will start at 9:00 p.m. Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather on both sides of the Victoria Harbor to enjoy the spectacular display.

(Xinhua News Agency September 17, 2002)